Chapter 2

She knew she really shouldn't be here especially with the meager remnants of her first paycheck in her wallet, but anyone who knew her well wouldn't have been surprised in the least. Bookmarks was a large local bookstore that she fell in love with once she moved to Seacouver. Whenever she felt a little down, she'd come here and browse for an hour or so.

She was standing in front of several bookcases containing diaries, journals and notebooks. They were her not-so-secret passion. When she wasn't reading books, she was writing in them. Xander called her collection the Dawnmeister Chronicles. She had just finished filling another volume and needed a new one.

There was a dazzling array of choices. Some were big, some small; some were trendy, some classic. She always got a kick out of the covers. There were pictures of kittens, puppies, smiley faces, cars, landscapes and pop art. Some had pithy sayings, and others had words of wisdom.

One in particular caught her eye. It was a picture of three women dressed in filmy gowns. They were holding hands and dancing barefoot in a circle. It was a part of a larger painting that had been one of Tara's favorites. She picked up the journal and thought of the shy blond who had died several years ago.

"Primavera."

Startled, Dawn spun and found a vaguely familiar man in a trench coat. "Excuse me?"

He gestured to the cover. "The Three Graces from Botticelli's Primavera."

"Oh, yeah," she said. "Umm..."

"Adam Pierson," he said. "We met at Joe's?"

"Right," Dawn remembered. "I almost didn't recognize you without the blues music and the dim lighting."

"I was just about to have some coffee," he said. "Would you care to join me? My treat?"

Dawn thought for a moment then said, "Sure. Thanks."

Freshly Brewed, a trendy little place, was attached to the bookstore. The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. Display cases housed sumptuous snacks and delectable desserts. The expresso machine shrieked happily in the corner as the employees called out orders.

Methos ordered an expresso for himself and a brownie for each of them. He was surprised when she requested some chai tea. They were able to get a table by the window.

"I thought university students lived on frappacinos and lattes," he said taking a sip of his expresso.

"Most do," Dawn admitted, "but tea is a comfort drink for me especially when I can get it in a proper pot."

"That's a bit unusual."

"Grew up with several tea drinkers."

"Where was that?" Methos asked nonchalantly.

"Most recently, Hope Springs, Nevada," she replied.

"Oh, I thought Joe mentioned someplace in California."

"Sunnydale?" Dawn asked. "We lived there until I was 16. It was destroyed by a very localized earthquake. We weren't home at the time."

"Then Hope Springs?"

"Well actually, Cleveland then Hope Springs," she said pouring herself some tea.

"Cleveland?"

"Yeah, my sister's job took us there."

"Job?"

"She was into extermination," Dawn answered sipping her tea. "There was a big pest problem."

"How'd you end up in Nevada?"

"A family friend knew of a motel that was for sale there. Buffy decided to give it a go."

"Buffy?"

"My sister."

Methos looked at her over the rim of his raised cup. "Seriously?"

Dawn nodded shrugging her shoulders. "I figure I got off lucky."

"So what brought you to Seacouver?"

"A scholarship," she admitted. "Plus UWS is a good school."

"Have you decided on a major yet?"

"I'm leaning toward either journalism or history."

"As Geoffrey C. Ward once said, 'journalism is merely history's first draft.' I was a history major myself."

Dawn's face lit up. "Really? Where did you go to school?"

"Paris," Methos replied vaguely.

"Wow," she sighed dreamily and began peppering him with questions about his time at university and living in Europe. After awhile she changed the topic. "Joe said you just got back from a trip. Where did you go?"

"Asia. Had a craving for some authentic Chinese food," Methos said and told her about his travels.

Twenty minutes later, they left the coffeehouse. There was a little mist in the air.

"Can I give you a lift somewhere?" Methos asked.

"No, but thanks," Dawn said. "My bus'll be here any minute."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."